Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica)Where and when to see it in the UK
Summer visitor · reporting peaks June · Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls · BOU category A
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Gull-billed Tern has been recorded in 43 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (1%) in records to 2026. Summer visitor in the UK. Its strongest squares are in England, Scotland and Wales. Reporting peaks in June.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, LC)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 100% or more of visits
- High
- 3% to 100%
- Moderate
- <1% to 3%
- Low
- under <1%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0% | <1% | Insufficient records |
| February | 0% | <1% | Insufficient records |
| March | 0% | <1% | Insufficient records |
| April | 16% | <1% | Moderate |
| May | 16% | <1% | Low |
| June | 100% | <1% | High |
| July | 56% | <1% | Moderate |
| August | 68% | <1% | Moderate |
| September | 1% | <1% | Low |
| October | 10% | <1% | High |
| November | 0% | <1% | Insufficient records |
| December | 0% | <1% | Insufficient records |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in June
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| NS98 | Falkirk, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| SS59 | Swansea, Wales | 100% | Very high |
| SS78 | Neath Port Talbot, Wales | 100% | Very high |
| ST44 | Somerset, England | 8% | High |
| ST43 | Somerset, England | 5% | High |
| SK63 | Nottinghamshire, England | 5% | High |
| TR01 | Kent, England | 4% | High |
| SW53 | Cornwall, England | 2% | Moderate |
| HU31 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | <1% | Low |
| SE40 | Barnsley, England | <1% | Low |